Today we begin a series of articles looking at the fantastic projects which entered the Keep Scotland Beautiful pollinator-friendly category. First up Janice Lyon gives us an insight into a very impressive entry from Aberdeen.
By Janice Lyon
The Friends of Victoria and Westburn Parks is a very active group of volunteers in Aberdeen who work every Saturday morning to improve our local parks. We were established in 2013 and currently have 22 active members all from the local community around the parks. We have a really good relationship with the Environmental Services folks in Aberdeen City Council and meet with them routinely to agree the projects we will take on.
Back in 2018 our group took over a derelict part of the park where old greenhouses had been demolished, and we converted this area into a wildflower garden. In the first year we mainly prepared the ground (which was hard work!), had a path installed and planted indigenous hedging around the boundaries. By the second year we were able to plant annual wildflower seeds.
Using annuals meant we had the chance to weed out the couch grass, dockens, etc. before planting the area with spring bulbs and sowing perennial wildflowers.
Elsewhere in the park we have actively chosen to put in plants which are in flower throughout the year to provide food for pollinators. For example crocus in the springtime, sunflowers in the summer, salvia in the autumn and mahonia in the winter.
We use the RHS “Perfect for Pollinators” leaflet as a guide to choosing what we plant.
Last year we established a no-mow area under deciduous trees in another part of the park where we have planted Scottish bluebells and shade loving woodland plants. We are looking forward to seeing this area develop into a shady woodland walk.
In the autumn we collect seeds from the wildflower plants to boost up the show for next year, and we join forces with members of the Rotary and children from our local primary school to plant more spring bulbs. Unfortunately in 2020 the school pupils were unable to join us for bulb planting due to constraints relating to the pandemic but we were delighted that this has been possible again this autumn. The children really enjoy being outside and planting bulbs, but I think the best bit for them is finding worms! It is great to see many of the children coming back into the park later in the year with their parents – in particular to see the bulbs they planted come into flower in the spring.
Over the past two years, like everyone else, we have been a bit limited in our ability to keep working in the park, but emphasis has been on keeping the wildflower garden up to scratch, and this year the wildflower garden has been buzzing with bees, hoverflies and other pollinators all summer long! We have acquired additional gardening tools so we can all work at safe distances from each other – but still keep gardening (the weeds don’t stop growing for the pandemic!).
For more information on our group please see our Facebook page
Scottish pollinators 